In the Eye of the Storm
by Innocentenough
Summary: Stuck for three days in her own apartment was a daunting and mostly boring prospect for Sakura, until, that is, she had a most unexpected visitor... NejixSakura. Rated T for swearing and indications of romantic gestures etc. May change to M depending on where the story goes !
1. An Unexpected Visitor

Hello all and a big hello to my new followers! :) Ive decided to write a little mini story alongside updating 'Breaking Point' so hopefully you will enjoy this too. Of course its NejixSakura...

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own any of the Naruto characters. I also do not own the story '50 shades of Grey' or 'Hunger Games' that are both mentioned in this chapter.

xox

Sakura sighed heavily as she peeked through her blinds at the un-relenting weather outside; a monsoon had descended upon Konoha and was due to stay for a few days. Tsunade had called off all missions and declared a stage 3 emergency; the ninja helped civilians barricade themselves in their homes and left each with enough rations to keep them going for a week, at least, if used properly. When Sakura had finally made it home she was soaked to the bone and aching from head to foot.

She let the blinds snap shut before wandering around her empty apartment. Being alone for 3 days was not going to be fun; she wasn't very good at keeping herself company. She almost considered dragging Naruto's sorry ass out of his flat but when she went to pick up the phone the line on the other end was dead; the phone-lines we're down as well.

"Stupid storm..." she muttered, before flopping down on the couch. Her eyes caught the cover of the book on her table that Ino had insisted she read. All the women in Konoha we're raving about it apparently and it had been un-ceremoniously shoved into her hands by the blonde bombshell before promises of being allowed to borrow the next two when she'd finished with them. Honestly, she didn't know what all the fuss was about.

She picked up the offending material and admired the cover; it was black with a simple grey tie across it, the letterings 'E L James' were written in bold white print across the bottom. She turned it over and read the synopsis; it seemed innocent enough to her. A simple love story surely? She decided the best plan of action was to soak herself to death in a long hot bath and delve into the world of love that she knew so little about herself.

Whilst she sat on the edge of the bath, the bubbles beginning to foam beneath her, she flicked through the book, finding odd pages to read every now and then to try and get an idea for what the book was like. She stopped on one page that looked interesting, it looked like emails back and forth between the two main characters.

She blinked. This seemed a bit saucier than the other love stories Ino had thrown at her. She began flicking again, reading a few bits here and there. This character sounded a little too much like a stalker as far as she was concerned. She stopped on another page which she assumed to be another email only stopping when she read the title.

A contract? What on earth...

Holy crap. It was a sex book. No wonder Ino was raving about it! She slammed the book shut in an embarrassed flush, her head hanging in shame as she realized what her friend had tricked her in to; this was not an area that Sakura was comfortable exploring. She placed the book on the table next to the bath and made a promise to herself that she wouldn't pick it up again; no way was she reading that!

As she slipped her clothes off and dipped into the warm waters her curiosity began to peak. Would it really be that bad to read it? Her 25 year old self was craving to just open the book and sneak into the world of erotism. She was going to be here for the next 3 days on her own anyway so no one would bother her; she could read it and no one would even know. She glanced at the book again, sitting innocently on the side, the cover sitting up slightly from where she'd had it open. She sighed, blowing the hair off her face, closing her eyes her resolve snapped.

"Fuck it..." she murmured, reaching over for the book she flicked to the first page and began to read.

xox

She had just reached the section where Anastasia Steele was about to jump Christian Grey's bones for the second time when a loud pounding on her door made her jump, sloshing the water over the bath's edge.

"Shit!" She cursed, throwing the book back on the table she quickly leapt out of the bath and threw her rather short white bathrobe on, padding quickly to the door as she tied the rope in a knot around her waist. Naruto must of gotten bored as well, finally she'd have some company for a while.

Carefully removing the chakra barricades on the door to keep the hurricane winds from blowing in, she channeled chakra into her hands and held the door steady as she slowly peeled it open. Channeling more chakra into her feet to keep herself in place, she peered out onto the balcony.

There, looking completely and utterly defeated, stood one Hyuuga Neji.

She gaped at him, what was he doing here?!

"Neji?!" She called into the rain.

"Sakura" he replied, he was looking very apologetic. "Im so sorry for bothering you, especially with this weather afoot." He managed a small bow against the intolerable winds. She rolled her eyes; even in a hurricane he was so formal.

"I was just on my way back from a mission and I was hoping that maybe I could seek refuge here for a few hours?" He called to her.

"What?" She shouted back, straining to hear him over the roaring weather.

"I said, would it be ok if-"

"Oh, Neji, for gods sake just get inside!" She shouted, interrupting him and grabbing his wrist, hauling him into her apartment in one swift move before slamming the door shut behind him and re-placing her barricades. She turned to greet him, stifling a laugh as she noticed his rather wet appearance.

"Are you ok?" She giggled.

He stared at her, the giggling not going unnoticed to him. He bowed stiffly again in front of her and she couldn't help but roll her eyes again.

"Oh, Neji-san stop being so silly its only me!" She smiled at him pleasantly and he nodded in agreement.

"Im sorry to bother you, I was just on my way back from a mission and wasn't aware of the weather in Konoha...The Hyuuga estate is on the other side of town." He waved a hand vaguely to the left. "And your the only person I know who lives in this area..." His explanation trailed off quietly as embarrassment took over. Haruno Sakura was wearing possibly the shortest bath robe he had ever seen and it was making him rather uncomfortable.

"Your looking for somewhere to stay, right?" She smiled, holy crap Hyuuga Neji was in her apartment. He was a rare creature for Sakura as she never spent much time with him on her own and even then she didn't really see him up close like she did now. Even though his Anbu gear was stuck to his skin like lycra and his hair was splayed out at all different angles, he had extremely striking features; very handsome indeed, she noted slyly.

He nodded in response. "Only for a few hours before I try and head home."

Her eyebrows furrowed at this. "Neji-san, the storm is supposed to linger for two more days at least." She watched as his face fell, amused as she realized that he must be thinking that it was a bad idea and such bad manners to call upon her to stay for three days. Oh bless his Hyuuga upbringing.

"Its ok, I don't mind you staying. I'd enjoy the company." _And the view_, she thought. Although she kept that one to herself. He shifted uncomfortably, as if contemplating the thought.

"Neji, I don't really think you have a choice in the matter; this weather's going no-where!" She pointed to her rattling blinds as if for confirmation. He nodded mutely, although his obvious discomfort was rather on show. She sighed inwardly, this was going to be interesting.

"Here, you must be cold. I'll run you a fresh bath and you can get yourself clean." She smiled warmly at him before disappearing into her bedroom which he assumed housed the en-suite bathroom; the only bathroom in the apartment he noted uncomfortably. He stood awkwardly in the hallway, dripping a messy puddle around his feet and at a complete loss at what to do.

"Neji-san! you can come in you know." She poked her head around the door and beckoned him in. After a moments pause he stepped forward and carefully ignored her bedroom and made a bee-line straight for the bathroom.

"Here's some soap and hair stuff, and I've laid a towel out for you here. There's some of Kakashi's clothes that are clean on the drying rack over there that should fit you."

She held up a pair of grey jogging bottoms to his hips, looking over the length. Jesus, this women knew no boundaries. She smiled up at him in satisfaction before throwing the clothes back where she found them.

"I'll leave you to it, then." And with a flurry of movement, she was out of the bathroom, leaving Neji behind in a cloud of steam from the hot bath, staring at the door with a blank expression; not only did she have no boundaries, she moves and speaks far too quickly for him to keep up.

He sighed; this was going to be a long few days.

xox

Sakura carefully stirred the stew she had bubbling away on the pot; she assumed Neji must be hungry only just coming from a week long mission surviving on meager rations so she cooked up the best she could manage on her own. Her mind began to wonder as she chopped vegetables, slowly retreating back to the world of Christian Grey and the affect the book was having on her. She blanched suddenly, spilling the stew over the side of the pot as it dawned on her that she had left said book in the bathroom. Her eyes widened as the thought of Neji's curiosity getting the better of him and picking the book up to read consumed her. She knew for a fact that Neji was a reader as well; she'd often stumbled upon him around the quieter areas of Konoha with his head stuck in a book.

She darted around the kitchen, not sure what to do with herself as she tried to figure out a plan at getting the book back. She scoffed and stopped her panicked run when she realized it would pointless trying to sneak up on a ninja, let alone a byuukagen user.

"This is ridiculous!" She face planted her hands as she continued to hurriedly make dinner, deciding to just hope for the best that Neji would stick to his Hyuuga up-bringing and leave her book alone.

xox

Neji's face paled considerably as he read Christian Grey's contract to Ana Steele. Holy crap, Sakura was reading _this_ book! His mouth flapped open and shut as he closed the book, then opened it again, unsure whether to keep reading or whether to just respect her privacy and put the book back down. His Hyuuga manners took over and he shakily placed the book back on the table before sinking down into the water to cover his blushing cheeks.

He stared at his toes as he wriggled them experimentally, beginning to feel them again as his body warmed up to a normal temperature. He would of used his chakra in the storm to keep him warm but he needed to use it to brace himself against the gail force winds. His muscles began to relax slowly and he began to become aware of the injuries sustained in his mission. he grumbled as a dull ache settled on the left hand side of his ribcage. he rubbed his hand tenderly across it before deciding that he'd had enough of soaking in the hot water and decided to change and go and see his generous host.

He hadn't quite decided, however, about whether to mention the book or not.

He carefully stepped out of the bath, making his way over to the towel she had laid out for him he began to dry his aching body. The pain in his side became more noticeable as he slowly changed into the dry, warm jogging bottoms and plain white t-shirt. He carefully tied his hair back in a tight ponytail at the top of his neck and placed some bandages around his forehead to cover his curse mark.

He emptied the water in the bath and took a deep breath before opening the bathroom door and letting the steam spill out into her bedroom. He strode quickly across her room, ignoring everything, the towel he'd borrowed carefully folded over his arm. As soon as he exited her room into her living quarters he was hit with the wonderful smell of hot food. His stomach growled in approval as he carefully padded his way across the carpet to the kitchen on the other side.

He could see her through the arch way, busying herself in the kitchen as she hummed and softly cursed as she occasionally burnt herself on the handle of the hot pan. He could smell what he could put down as beef and dumpling stew. His mouth watered slightly and his expression softened as he realized she must of cooked for two at the pair of bowls that were laid out on the table behind her.

She suddenly whirled round, sensing his presence, before smiling brilliantly at him again.

"I made you, well us, some stew! Im just trying to use the rations I've been given for the storm. I hope you like beef." She mumbled off something else as she bustled her way across the kitchen towards him.

"Here, let me take that and you go and make yourself comfortable on the sofa; I think the televisions still working but only with DVDs." She gestured to the towel folded over his arm.

"Oh, thank you." He gave her a small, rare smile. "And thank you for the food; it smells delicious. You are a most gracious host, Haruno-san."

"Please just call me Sakura, Neji-san!" She smiled although it didn't reach her eyes; her medic side was kicking in, he looked absolutely exhausted. His face was slightly pale and his posture looked hunched. She watched him carefully make his way into the living room and sit down on the sofa, his hands on his thighs as he stared forward, not making a move for the remote to the TV. She frowned slightly before realizing that he was meditating. It hit her then like a brick wall; Neji only ever meditates after training and when he's in pain. It was most definitely the latter.

Neji jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He watched as Sakura made her way around the sofa and sat next to him, placing her medical kit on the coffee table in front of them. She gave him a knowing look and he knew he didn't have a choice in the matter; in fact that there wasn't a lot he had a choice in when it came to Sakura.

He sighed in defeat before gently lifting his t-shirt over his head, wincing slightly as he lifted his left arm. Sakura stiffened slightly; she'd seen Neji topless before but not in this setting, in her home on her sofa. Not to mention after reading _that_ book. Her face softened though when she saw the large bruise that was beginning to form across his ribs. She gently rubbed her hands together to warm them slightly before channeling her healing chakra into them and gently pressing them into his side. There was a moment of pain as he grunted, scrunching his eyes shut, before relaxing immediately into a state of bliss as the pain began to fade into a distant memory.

He was vaguely aware of her instructing him to lift his other arm but his mind was drifting blissfully in and out of sleep. He felt her lift it for him, before wrapping tight bandages around his torso.

Sakura smiled at her guest as his head began to slip down so his chin was resting on his chest. She gently lay him in a more comfortable position before turning her attention back to healing a few scratches and bruises here and there on his arms and legs. She packed her kit up and made her way back into the kitchen; theres no harm in letting him sleep for a while.

xox

Neji's dreams were plagued with thoughts of Sakura's slim body sliding gracefully out of the bath-tub, bubbles slipping down her toned abdomen and slowly making its way towards...

He awoke with a start. He breathed heavily and snapped his head up to see Sakura standing over him, a bowl of stew in hand with chopsticks and a rather worried look on her face.

"Neji-san? Are you ok? You were moaning.." She eyed him carefully as she placed his meal on the coffee table in front of him. He blushed lightly and averted his gaze, keeping his concentration on his dinner and not her lithe form leaning a little too close for comfort.

"Im fine, thank you. Sorry to startle you. The food smells delicious." He offered her a small smile. She beamed back at him before seating herself beside him on the sofa and began digging into her dinner. He watched bemused as she stuffed a whole dumpling in her mouth and chewed in delight.

"Oh! Do you want to watch a film?" She asked around her food. He held in a small chuckle and nodded politely. She made her way over to the cabinet beside her TV and began to sieve her way through her DVD collection. Neji was grateful that she by-passed the girly chick flicks but immediately stiffened when she reached the Horror section.

"Hey! how about 28 days later? I haven't seen it yet, Naruto lent it to me. Its about Zombies or something?" When she didn't get a reply she turned to him. "Neji?" She stared at his slightly pale face and stiff posture, his food still sitting in his lap as he eyed the DVD cover carefully.

"I'd rather not." He stated flatly. Her eyes narrowed as a cat like grin spread across her features.

"Hyuuga Neji are you scared of Horror movies?!"

"I am not. I just would prefer something a little more tasteful tonight." He scoffed, turning his head to the side to avoid her piercing green eyes. He sighed as she giggled gleefully, annoyed that she was enjoying this far too much. Of course he didn't like scary movies, their called 'horror' films for a reason; your not supposed to enjoy them.

"Ok, ok! We'll watch something else." She giggled as she placed the film back and sifted through to the action genre. He groaned inwardly, the last thing he wanted to sit through was some block-head punching his way through life. An image of Naruto popped into his head and he shook it away annoyed.

"What about this?" He glanced at the DVD she held up and immediately felt intrigued.

"Ive read the book, but I didn't realize there was a film out." He said as she tossed the case towards him.

"You really are out of the loop sometimes, Neji-san." She smiled at him as she sat down and indulged in her dinner again. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he studied the back of the DVD box whilst expertly spooning beef into his mouth with chopsticks.

"I'd like this." A small smile lit up his features as he handed the DVD back to her, his eyes catching the light of the room as he turned to face her. She was broken from her stare and smiled back as she took the DVD from his hands.

She sat back on the sofa after a few failed attempts and getting her ancient DVD player to work before slamming her fist down on it, which seemed to do the trick. 'The Hunger Games' title flashed across the screen as the first shot of District 12 initiated the start of the film. She stared down at her half empty bowl of stew and blew her bangs out of her face; her eyes are bigger than her stomach apparently. She noted that Neji had not only practically licked his bowl clean but had also finished off most of the bread that she had laid out for dipping. She smiled quietly to herself before laying back against the sofa to enjoy the film.

"Would you like some sake?" She asked politely, although in her head she was screaming at herself for asking him whether or not he'd like alcohol; of course he wouldn't, its Hyuuga Neji for crying out-

"Yes that would be lovely, thank you." She blinked. He gave her a small smile before reaching forwards and collecting up the empty dishes.

"Ah, ah, ah! Leave that I'll see to it, you relax and enjoy the film." She instructed, one hand on her hip as she wagged a finger at him. She took the dishes out of his hand and headed back into the kitchen. Once she reached the safety of her sink and was out of sight of the Hyuuga she slapped a hand to her forehand.

"What am I thinking? Offering him alcohol?! Of all things..." She flapped around in circles as she frantically tried to get the cups and drink ready. She blew a strand of loose hair out of her face as she composed herself and made her way back into the living room.

Neji smiled gratefully as he took the cup of alcohol out of her hands and turned his attention immediately back to the film. Five minutes of silence passed and Sakura was beginning to feel an awkward tension fill the room; she kept glancing at Neji out of the corner of her eye and then quickly glancing back to the TV as his eyes slid to her. She knew Neji would hate it if she spoke to him throughout the film due to Hinata's previous experience's, so she settled for pouring herself another cup of Sake.

Neji watched intrigued as the young girl poured yet more drink into her cup. At this rate she'd be drunk within the hour. Another ten minutes passed and when she reached for the bottle again Neji got there first and gently slid it away towards himself. She blinked and looked up then smiled sheepishly as she saw the knowing look on his face; his small smile giving himself away. He gently poured some more into his cup and then placed the bottle back on the table out of her reach, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he took a sip.

"Tease." She huffed, folding her arms across her chest before quickly turning her attention back to the film as the fighting began. "OOoohhh this is the best bit!" She smiled as Katniss notched an arrow into her bow, ready to fire.

"I wish we had weapons like that, It would make fighting so much more fun!"

"...We do have weapons like that." He gave her a confused look, wondering if the Sake was beginning to impend her memory.

"I know, I know, but we're not allowed to use them in battle anymore because they slow us down, according to Tsunade." She mimicked the blonde Hokage as she talked. Neji came to the conclusion that the Sake was definitely beginning to take its effect and he had to admit it was rather entertaining for him. He bought the cup to his lips to take another sip.

"Um, Neji, about the book in the bathroom-"

He spat his drank out across the table, coughing as it traveled back up his throat from the shock of her sudden lack of embarrassment about such an _obviously_ embarrassing topic. Sakura jumped as he hacked, not expecting that reaction from him at all but giggled behind her hand when she realized he must of obviously read it whilst in the bath. He quickly wiped his hand across his mouth, blushing with embarrassment.

"W-what book?" He mumbled. She laughed out right at his attempt at hiding the obvious.

"Its ok, Neji-san. I just wanted to apologize as its not really the type of book that I read but Ino practically threw it at me and ..." She trailed off her explanation, realizing that she too was blushing as well. She quickly shrunk down into the sofa and pretended to watch the film whilst screaming at herself for even bringing the situation up as it made the awkward tension in the room even worse.

"I could teach you if you like?"

She stared at him wide eyed, her breath catching in her throat as a red line boiled its way up her neck and into her cheeks.

"Hyuuga Neji! How dare you-"

Neji's eyes widened as he realized what he just said and the previous conversation they'd had.

"No! No, I didn't mean that!" He blushed furiously. "I meant using a bow and arrow." He pointed to the TV screen as Katniss fired a bow at lightening speed.

"Oh..." She giggled nervously, desperately ignoring the slight pang of disappointment at him _not_ teaching her sexual moves Christian Grey style. "The would be nice, thank you." She smiled at him.

They continued to occasionally talk throughout the duration of the film, mostly on the use of different weapons within combat and other whimsical debates that would usually bored Sakura to tears but Neji had a way with words that she just couldn't resist.

She smiled to herself as she set about making a bed for Neji on her living room floor.

"Honestly, its fine I can sleep on the sofa." He had said politely, holding his hands up in front of himself, embarrassed at the amount of effort she was going into to accommodate him. She shushed him with a wave of her hand and positioned pillows and blankets to make a neat little pile in the corner of the room. She stood back and admired her handy work.

"There!" She smiled in triumph, hands on hips. He smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Thank you, Sakura. I really appreciate it"

She blushed lightly, averting her eyes away from his blatant show of thanks. she brushed out her leggings, giving her hands something to do as she watched him rummage through his bag.

"Well, I guess i'll see you in the morning? Good night, Neji-san!" She smiled and gave him a small wave before heading for her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She heaved a sigh of relief and was just about to pull her top over her head when there was a small knock at her door. She opened it slowly, peeking out at Neji.

"Im sorry, I just need to use the bathroom." He pointed in the direction of her en-suite, toothbrush in hand.

"Sorry, yes of course go ahead!" She waited until he was safely inside and brushing his teeth before she hurriedly dressed into her pajamas and pulled a brush through her hair.

"Thank you again." She turned to tell him to stop thanking her only to find her door shut and the silent padding of his feet as he made his way over to his 'bed'. She smiled softly, tucking herself under her duvet after using the bathroom herself.

This was going to be interesting and in the back of Sakura's mind, she hoped that the storm would last more than just a few days.

xox

Wow im on a real writing spree atm! To be honest though Ive had this idea lying around on my desktop for quite a while and suddenly found it again the other day and decided to make it in the a little mini story ;) I really need to start writing other stuff besides NejixSakura...

Anywho! Comments and feedback are really appreciated!

Ciao!


	2. A Nightmare of a Time

Hello all! Hope you are all well today! So here is the next chapter in this little side story im doing alongside my other main story 'Breaking Point'. Im sorry if there are any grammatical errors etcc, I do try and make sure that there aren't any but im not a trained writer and haven't studied english etc, this is just something I do as a hobby because I love writing! So I don't tend to worry about the smaller errors and I hope you guys don't either! As long as its readable and you enjoy it ;)

Disclaimer: As usual I don't own any of the characters (unfortunately) but the story and plot line belong to me.

xox

Sakura sat bolt upright in bed as another thunder clap rolled overhead, her eyes stayed fixed on her windows as the hurricane winds battered against the village of Konoha. She flinched as lightening lit up the surrounding buildings before another loud thunder clap rumbled across the darkened sky. She groaned as she realized she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. She looked around the room frantically to try and find something to distract herself with. Spotting the offending book on her dressing table she gently crept out of bed and tiptoed across her bedroom floor so as not to wake the sleeping ninja in her living room; she had made a makeshift bed for Neji out of whatever blankets and spare pillows and duvets she could find and she did a pretty dam good job of it if she dare say so herself.

She picked up the book and jumped as another flash of lightening and thunder rattled her small apartment. She dashed across her room and under her duvet as quickly as she could before immediately pouring herself into the book, trying to loose herself in the world of Christian grey so as to distract herself from the turmoil outside. However, the constant flashes of lightening had her eyes glancing at the window every few minutes, expecting to see someone standing outside. Memories of her childhood haunted her as she grew more and more frantic. She slammed the book shut and threw it aside, leaning into her bedside table draws she rummaged for her sleeping pills, only to stumble upon an empty packet. She mewled in panic as another, much louder thunder cloud rolled into the heart of Konoha. She sat back and rubbed her temples.

"Think, Sakura, think!" She said as she tried to figure out a plan. It suddenly clicked then that she had a perfectly capable, and not to mention beautiful, Anbu captain sleeping soundly in the room next to her who would almost certainly protect her from any intruders and at the least put her mind at ease from the constant howling weather outside. If she could just get to the sofa without waking him up then she could possibly get some sleep with the knowledge and comfort of having someone else in the room with her.

Now she just had to conjure up the courage to do it.

She flitted around her room as she gathered a couple of pillows and blankets before standing in front of her closed door. She toyed with the idea of taking the book with her as well and reading until she was able to sleep again. She sighed in annoyance and picked up the offending object before taking a few deep breathes, stealing herself to sneak past THE Hyuuga Neji.

Who was she kidding. The guy would know as soon as she touched the handle.

She opened the door slowly into her darkened living room, the flashes of lightening being the only source of illumination as she gently padded across her carpet and to the sofa that was sitting innocently across from her current guest. At the thought of him, Sakura cast a steely glance in his general direction and was surprised to find him sprawled out across the pillows and blankets in an unruly mess on the floor; his hair a fraying halo around his head from where it had come loose in sleep and his breathing was deep and heavy with the occasional snore echoing across the room to her. She froze on the spot in wonder at how relaxed and comfortable he was. The Hyuuga was some what of an enigma for Sakura; she always imagined him lying on his back when asleep with the blankets tucked under him neatly and all limbs in place with the usual stoic frown on his face. But here he was, face down, head to the side with his mouth open slightly as he drifted through the timeless space of dreams and reality. She smiled softly; she had always been so quick to judge people and if she had only just gotten to know him better she would of perhaps seen his softer side sooner and that he was, in fact, just another human being.

As she sat on the sofa and made herself comfortable she could already feel herself relaxing. She quickly lit a candle using her chakra and proceeded to read about the lives of sexual aristocrats, stealing glances at the Anbu captain ahead of her who was completely unaware of the fact that she had invaded 'his' space.

She smiled; he was changing her opinion of him by the second.

xox

Neji awoke slowly the next morning, his eyes assaulted with the dim morning haze that filtered through the blocked windows of Sakura's living room. He yawned loudly, unaware of the sleeping form across from him until he sat up and sensed her chakra signal. He glanced over at the sofa and saw the pink haired beauty sprawled length ways across the plush cushions, a blanket half covering her body as she had her hands up and covering her face. Her breathing was deep and heavy, leaving Neji to believe she had been asleep there for some time. He stood up and stretched, relieving the knots in his back and legs. He wandered over to where she slept and stared down at the serene look on her face; there were dark circles under her eyes which he presumed meant she hadn't slept very well. He frowned; perhaps she wasn't comfortable with him staying there, hence why she was asleep on the sofa and not in her room. The battering of the weather on her already worn blinds was an indication that he wasn't going anywhere for a while anyway; it was too dangerous, even for shinobi.

He sighed softly, pulling the blanket up to her chin. He was about to turn when there was a dull thud. He glanced down to the floor and smirked softly, sitting innocently and staring up at him was the front cover of the book he had gingerly tried to read in the bath. He picked it up carefully and placed it back on the side of the sofa; judging from the bent pages she seemed to be enjoying it and had almost finished. He smiled softly again, shaking his head gently before padding into the kitchen to retrieve a drink.

He pondered as he pulled out a glass as to how he was going to approach the topic of him staying with her; perhaps just thank her for letting him stay for the night but he had better be on his way? No. That would offend her if he knew her as well as he had hoped. He ran the tap and filled his cup, generously gulping down the cool beverage before going back for more. Perhaps he could simply leave a note and avoid the awkward confrontation altogether? Nope. That would offend her ever more. He sighed and rinsed the glass out, placing it on her small drainer by the sink before padding back to the living room. He took the opportunity to flop back onto his 'bed' to relax for a few minutes whilst her chakra signal was still slow within deep sleep.

He watched her sleep quietly, his eyes fixed on her slightly flushed cheeks and parted mouth. Another slew of rain took over the village and battered against the roof of her flat, the windows shaking lightly at the sudden onslaught. He raised an eyebrow as she seemed unfazed by the sudden change in weather and continued sleeping. He rubbed his temples gently and decided the best plan of action was to just stay where he was and wait out the storm; she would just have to put up with him. Perhaps, when she awoke, he could apologize for being such an inconvenience?

Yes, he decided. That would do.

xox

Sakura mewled loudly as she stretched her arms above her head, only to have them whack into the side of the sofa loudly. She snatched her wrists back and rubbed them gingerly, casting an annoyed glance behind her only to realize her surroundings. She froze, eyes glued to the seemingly sleeping Hyuuga across from her.

"Shit!" She cursed. She was supposed to sneak back to her room earlier but judging from the clock on the other side of the wall they had both decided to sleep in. She sat up, carrying her blankets and cushions with her as she began to pad softly back to her bedroom door when a voice interrupted her.

"Sakura?" She grimaced at the sound of Neji, her footsteps faltering and her shoulders slumped forward in defeat.

"Im sorry to wake you! Did you sleep ok?" She asked with a smile as she whirled around to face him. He blinked in surprise at her sudden outburst.

"Yes, thank you. Did you?" He already knew the answer to that.

"Er..Yes thanks! Not bad..."

"Sakura..." He stood. The tone in his voice made her shrink slightly and a blush crept up her neck; it was like liquid gold. Her inner self shifted in anticipation or perhaps it was just her imagination getting the better of her due to that damned book Ino had given her.

"Im sorry if me being here is making you uncomfortable." He started. He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, seemingly not happy with the conversation. He glanced away towards the door. "If you like, Im sure I can make it back to the compound un-scathed." He blinked as a rather large piece of debris, most probably a tree branch, slammed into her blocked windows across the room. The walls shook with the sudden force of the blow before simmering to a silent stop.

"Well, mostly un-scathed..." Neji mumbled as he stared at the windows in mild shock. What on earth was going on out there?!

Sakura frowned at him. Did he not want to be here? "What makes you think Im uncomfortable?" She asked quietly, clutching the blankets to her chest. Neji snapped his attention back to her, his mouth opening and closing as he fought with the words sitting on the tip of his tongue.

"I woke up early this morning and you were sleeping on the sofa." He gestured loosely to it, suddenly realizing that she could easily punch him into next year if she wanted to. He was surprised to hear her laugh echo through the room. She walked up to him, dropping the contents of her arms on the floor she stepped over it and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Neji, you are my friend! You are more than welcome here anytime you like." She smiled softly, her bright green eyes glistening under the dim morning light. He blushed for what felt like the hundredth time since he'd arrived yesterday. He smiled back none the less.

"Thank you." He frowned suddenly. "But if its not that, then why were you sleepin-"

"I couldn't sleep because of the storm. Im afraid thunder is one of the many fears of mine." She laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head with a lack of places to put her hands. Neji's face softened as it suddenly dawned on him what she had been doing last night.

"You felt safer in here with me." He reasoned, his white orbs staring straight into her emerald ones, trying to gauge her reaction. Satisfaction and male pride swept through him when a rather large blushed speckled her cheeks. With her head down and eyes cast aside she nodded her head, seemingly embarrassed. He blinked slightly, now at a loss of what to do. He felt like he should comfort her, but how? He analyzed her features for what felt like an age, smiling softly at her tousled hair. Without even realizing he leant forward and brushed some of it down and behind her ear. She was staring up at him now, her eyes big and bright with confusion as his larger hand cupped her face.

"Im scared of dying..." He mumbled. Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at him in shock. Scared of dying? She shook her head in confusion.

"I don't understand..." She mumbled, his hand was still cupping her cheek softly.

"Even though its such a natural occurrence in ones life, it still scares me." He continued, feeling the need to explain. "Even though im faced with death every day as a shinobi, I still cant bring myself to try and understand it and accept it." He glanced down at her, smiling softly. "We are all scared of something so theres no need to be embarrassed about it."

She grinned happily, the blush still evident across her cheeks she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, pulling his form into a hug. He chuckled lightly, softly wrapping his large arms around her shoulders in a loose embrace.

"Thank you Neji"

"Your welcome Sakura." He smiled. "Im also scared of spiders, but don't tell Shino that."

Her bright laughter trickled through her small apartment as she pulled away from him and moved towards the kitchen, declaring it breakfast time with a punch in the air. He shook his head at her Naruto-esqe attitude and followed her through the archway, leaning over her shoulder in her pantry as they both tried to decide on what they wanted from her rations.

After breakfast she showered first, followed by Neji. She changed quickly and swiftly, pottering around her room, tidying as she went. She sent a brush quickly through her hair before straightening out her t-shirt and cotton shorts. Her legs were out on show, a pair of slippers stuck onto her feet in fluffy bundles. She absentmindedly wondered whether she should put trousers on instead of shorts when the door behind her opened. She turned to be faced with the picture of a topless Hyuuga, he was running a towel through his hair, his bandages free off his forehead leaving his mark on full view. His snow orbs found hers and he gave her a small smile before making his way back into the living room, closing the door softly behind him. She stood frozen in place, her eyes still glued on the bathroom door as the image of Neji half naked burned into her skull.

She was never going to forget that sight.

She steeled herself carefully by the door, trying to control her growing emotions and the sensations that were pooling in the pit of her abdomen before pulling the door open and striding into her living area. She stopped mid-stride as she noticed Neji stringing up a target on one side of the room, a bow and arrow set by his feet.

He turned upon noticing her standing there, sending a smile in her general direction. "I did say I would teach you."

She clapped her hands excitedly as she skipped over to him, picking up the large bow and running her hands up and down its length.

"This is beautiful! Where did you get it?"

He nodded to the empty scroll lying behind her. "It was an early birthday present from TenTen. She brought it back from Water Country on her last mission. They apparently use it for fishing over there..." He mumbled the last part as he concentrated on slinging the target on straight.

"It's your birthday?! When?" She asked.

"Friday." He smiled. Sakura made a mental note to get him something.

When he turned back around to begin to talk her through the basics she was already a few feet away, an arrow notched in the string and pulled back to her cheek, her eyes narrowed and ready on the target. He hastily jumped aside and made his way quickly over to her.

"Not so fast." He chuckled lightly, his hand wrapped around her elbow that was pulling back on the bow. "Lower your elbow slightly, it should be in line with the arrow." He said softly, standing behind her. She began to feel her emotions pooling again as his breath washed over the back of her neck. Unaware of the effect he was having on her he began to analyze her form.

"Widen your stance." He pushed his leg between hers and shifted her feet apart with his. She froze slightly in place, keeping her eyes on the target in front of her. She almost jumped when she heard and felt him right behind her. He placed a hand loosely on her shoulder as he pointed at the target, following the line of the arrow.

"Now try and aim there, you should get a bullseye that way." The warmth of his body was suddenly gone as he stepped back to give her some space. For a brief moment in time, she got lost in the space between her and the target; its red centre seemingly becoming all she saw as it grew in size. She narrowed her eyes and with a final tug on the bow string, she loosed the arrow.

xox

A dull thud echoed through her apartment as Neji watched her release the arrow. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the arrow hit dead centre on the target. She lowered the bow and turned to him an excited look on her face as she started to jump up and down. She bounded over to the grab the arrow as Neji's eyes traveled unwilling to her shorts; the cheeks of her sculpted behind were starting to show as her cotton shorts rode up. He caught sight of a pair of black lace pants and immediately turned his head to the side, his eyes closed, refusing to ignore his Hyuuga upbringing. He waited until she had turned to face him to reward her with a smile and a pat on the shoulder.

"That was impressive. Now lets see if it was just beginners luck."

They spent the rest of the day practicing, her trying to not blush every time Neji corrected her stance and him trying to ignore the pounding of his heart every time her tiny shorts lifted slightly to reveal her ass. She found herself deliberately making mistakes so that he would have to correct her.

"I think thats enough for one day." He smiled, walking over to the target and taking it down.

"What would you like for dinner?"

"I don't mind. Whatever you want to cook, I will eat." He said as she started to pack away the equipment, sending it back inside the scroll and placing it gently back into his pack that sat atop his now neatly made 'bed'. She nodded at his consent before making her way to the pantry. She pulled a few items around and decided on chicken noodle ramen. She threw the meat and veg on the side before starting to prepare everything. She felt Neji's presence behind her and motioned for him to sit at the dining table before placing a cup of sake in front of him.

"Alcohol again?" He raised an eyebrow at her before lifting the cup to his lips.

She shrugged. "Why not! May as well make the most of it before we get sent on missions again." She winked at him before turning back to make dinner.

"Do you need any help with anything?" He asked politely, beginning to rise from his seat. She shook her head.

"No its ok, you just sit there and keep me company." She smiled. He nodded, dropping back into his seat. His head was telling him to get up and help the woman cook but he really didn't want to be a nuisance so he just stayed where he was. Sakura pondered on what they could talk about as a silence engulfed the kitchen with the only noises breaking it being the slamming of her knife on the chopping board as she cut the chicken into thin slices. She suddenly remembered it was his birthday in a few days and began to wonder if she should find out what he would like as a gift. Tenten had gotten him a bow so maybe-... she stopped mid thought. She had completely forgotten about Tenten! Of course her doe-eyed friend had given him such a nice gift; it was a gesture of affection. She felt a pang of guilt and jealousy as she realized her growing feelings for the Anbu captain currently sat at her kitchen table.

She decided it was time to do some investigation work.

"So Neji." she started. Said man turned his head in her direction. "Tenten got you a bow..."

"...Yes." He replied, seemingly confused by her question.

"I wonder, you two spend a lot of time together."

"If you call missions and training 'time spent together' then yes, I guess we do."

_Typical Hyuuga answer,_ she thought. "I don't get to see her much, I wonder, is she seeing anyone at the moment?"

"You have my permission to court her, if thats what your asking." He deadpanned. A piece of broccoli flew past his head in protest.

"Thats not what im saying!" She proclaimed rather loudly, pointing the sharpened knife in his general direction. Her gaze softened when she realized he was joking; a smirk followed by a chuckle graced his handsome features.

"Ok, _I'm_ not courting her if thats what your asking."

"Oh... really? Everyone always thought you guys would get together." Sakura wondered aloud as she continued to chop up the vegetables, the chicken was now frying gently in the pan next to her. She smiled to herself as the fact that he was single dawned on her.

"No, she and Lee have had a thing going for a while now. It makes training rather troublesome..." He grumbled, seemingly unhappy with the whole thing.

"Have they really?! I had no idea!" She seemed a little too excited about this in Neji's opinion but he ignored it none the less, going back to his sake that he was drinking far too easily for his liking; he generously poured himself another glass.

"Yes, well, I was seeing someone else at the time when Tenten was interested so..." His answer trailed off as he tried to understand why on earth he had just told her that.

He blamed it on the sake.

She was now sitting opposite him, the pot of broth bubbling away on the stove. She rested her chin in her hands and smiled coyly at him, bringing her cup up to her lips she didn't break eye contact with him as she drank.

"The almighty Hyuuga Neji's been dating?!"

He smirked at her remark. "I get around." Oh dear lord, what was this sake doing to him?! His inner Hyuuga screamed at him to remember his stoic up-bringing but there was something about the pink haired girl in front of him that just brought out a completely different side of him that usually only the girls he's courting get to see.

Sakura stared at him in mild shock. Had he just said that? Had she heard him right? She mentally recalled Ino giving her some gossip from one of her friends who had apparently slept with the man sitting in front of her and that he was a complete 'animal', Ino's words not hers, in bed. At the time she had ignored it as gibberish but after his last comment she was starting to believe it.

"Anyway," He coughed, dispersing her thoughts. "What about you?"

She frowned at him. "Am I 'getting around'?"

He blushed as she mimicked his last, rather profound statement. "No, are you seeing anyone?"

She smiled at him. "No, unfortunately Im probably going to be a spinster for the rest of my life. Im planning on getting a cat."

"Why do you need a cat when you have Naruto?"

She barked with laughter, grabbing the now half empty Sake bottle and re-filling her cup.

"Touché." She giggled, standing to drop the ramen noodles into the broth, she gave it a stir before sitting back down at the table again. He relished in the fact that his dry sense of humor seemed to sit well with her, deciding to make the most of this evening with his new found hobby of winding her up.

"Well, I heard rumors about a certain dog handler that seemed to make you swoon." He gave her a knowing look, raising his glass to his lips.

"Who, Kiba?" She asked. "Nahhhh, that was just sex." She slammed her mouth shut as she realized what she had just said to him; only a handful of people knew about that and now she was blurting it out like it was old news.

Not to mention she said the 's' word.

Neji raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I see."

"Err, I think dinners ready!" She rushed to her feet and back into the pantry to receive the bowls ready for their food. She generously filled his and placed it along with a pair of chopsticks in front of him.

"Arigatou." He murmured to her before breaking his sticks and digging in.

They ate in relative silence, making occasional conversation here and there about what ingredients she had used and how much rationing she had left. But aside from that, her previous words seemed to hang in the air between them; the sexual tension was so terse you could cut it with a knife.

Neji helped her clean the dishes before they both retreated back to comfort of the sofa in her living room. The bottle of sake sat in front of them as they both helped themselves and sipped from their cups, hoping the alcohol would help break the spell they were under. Neji turned to place his arm on the rest when he knocked a book of its tilt. It fell to the floor which is where he quickly received it.

"Gomen, Sakura I-" he stared at the offending book he was now holding in his hands. He watched as a deep red saturated Sakura's face, her eyes trained on the pages that had flung open in protest. He placed it on the table in front of them, face down, and tried to ignore that it was there, turning his attention back to the pink-haired nin sitting across from him.

She sighed in defeat. "Im only reading it because im a spinster and Ino forced me too!"

"Sakura, Its none of my business what you read. Don't worry." he tried to smile at her but she was clearly distressed. He leant forward, picked up the book and flicked through it until he found the chapter he had reached when reading in the bath.

He then sat back with his legs crossed and began to read.

Sakura stared at him in horror. "Neji what are you doing!" She screeched, trying to snatch the book from him. He merely lifted it higher and out of her reach, still scanning the pages with snowy white orbs.

"Im just seeing what all the fuss is about."

"Well, don't!" She laughed, launching herself across the sofa at him. He merely leant back as she sailed past him, landing in a heap next to him. She leant up again, this time leaning on his shoulder and using his height to her advantage, she snapped the book out of his hands and deftly threw it across the room.

"Well, I think your going to need to buy Ino a new book." He observed dryly as the pages crumpled into a mess on the floor. Sakura sweat dropped slightly at the sight, silently cursing to herself when she realized she hadn't even finished it.

"It's not that good anyway." She scoffed, leaning back to her original seat and picking up her drink. Neji merely nodded and went back to sipping his sake gently.

"I hope you don't mind sleeping on the floor for a few days?" He shook his head. "Maybe we could swap!" She said suddenly, her face brightening at this supposedly brilliant idea. "I could sleep on the floor tonight and you can take my bed and then tomorrow we'll switch again."

"Sakura, no. Thats too much of an inconvenience for you-" He started.

"Ohhhh shush! I don't mind, it will be fine." She smiled softly and he begrudgingly nodded.

"Well, thats settled then!"

He wasn't very happy at all about the situation and shifted uncomfortably in his seat; now he felt like a complete and utter inconvenience. He glanced over at the pink haired shinobi who was chatting about where she was going to buy Ino another copy of the book and how she could possibly get away with it inconspicuously. She yawned loudly, the back of her hand covering her mouth.

"Ive never done so little in the day and yet been so tired..." She mumbled.

"Thats precisely why you are tired in the first place." He smiled softly.

She nodded. "I think I may get ready for bed."

Within half an hour she was snuggled up to her chin in the blankets on her living room floor. She had spent a good ten minutes forcing Neji into her bed, PG style, in the hopes that he would get a proper nights rest after his mission. Eventually, he had caved in and accepted her offer after a lot of threatening on her part. She smiled gently as the light smell of Neji's cologne wafted into her senses; her muscles immediately relaxed and she felt completely safe despite the weather that was still rocking the foundations of Konoha. She slipped down even further into the covers, hugging the pillows closely as she began to drift off into a deep sleep.

Neji lay rigid on his back, the soft cotton of her duvet was like silk against his skin and the whole place was riddled with the smell of shampoo, perfume and just _her._ He shifted onto his side, settling his head on his arm he breathed in deeply and tried to relax, letting the soft scent stuck to her pillows ease his aching mind and body. Too soon he was snoring softly as the world of sleep consumed him.

xox

He was awake and on his feet as soon as he heard her first scream. He sprinted to her door and threw it open, seeing her thrashing wildly on the floor, her arms and legs flying all over the place as blankets and cushions were scattered in a towering mess around her. He ran to her side, realizing at once that she was dreaming and clearly it wasn't a very nice one. He vaguely recalled Hinata once telling him that you should never wake someone who was having a nightmare incase they lash out and attack, but the way tears were streaming down her cheeks and cracked sobs echoed between each shriek of terror meant that there was no way he could leave her like this.

He waited for the opportune moment and when she opened her arms wide enough he threw his hand in and pushed a small amount of his chakra into her system. Her eyes threw open in shock as she she sat up, one final scream emanating from her chapped lips as she frantically looked around, her hands gripping the sheets with white knuckles, her breathing hard and heavy as sobs still resounded through her chest. Neji held her shoulders firmly.

"Sakura! Sakura, look at me." Watery emerald eyes locked onto silver ones. "Its ok, your ok now. It was just a dream." He murmured gently, nodding his head so as to get her to agree with him. Without warning her face crumpled and she began crying again, she clutched the front of his shirt and wept into his shoulder, her whole body shaking with fear as goosebumps rushed across her porcelain skin.

Neji made gentle hushing noises as he wrapped his arms around her, his head resting on hers gently as he rocked her close to him. Hell, this was probably the most uncomfortable situation he had ever been in and he really had no idea what he was doing but apparently something was working as her sobs began to die down into gentle sniffles and then she grew quiet all together apart from the occasional hiccup.

She pulled away from him gently, turning her head to the side as she wiped her nose and eyes on the back of her hand.

"Im sorry." She mumbled, her voice think with emotion still.

"Its ok. Are you sure your alright now?" She nodded, her head still turned away.

"I told you, Sakura. It's ok for us all to be afraid of something. Even if it still haunts us at night." She looked up at him now. Her eyes were red and bloodshot from crying and her cheeks were flushed from the sudden onslaught of emotion. She nodded her head, a small smile making its way to her lips; she liked that he hadn't asked what caused the nightmares, didn't pry into her personal life or pick fun at her. He was just being there for her.

"Lie back down and get comfortable again." He said quietly, pushing on her shoulder until she lay on her back. He re-arranged all of the pillows and blankets, tucking them under her gently until she was all bundled up again. Tiredness swept over her again and she began to see Neji through hazy eyes.

"Neji?" She whispered, her eyes beginning to drift shut.

"Yes?" He looked up from lifting another blanket over her, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Please don't leave me on my own." The desperation in her voice was too much to ignore and all he could do was nod in agreement, settling down next to her on his knee's as he watched her drift back to sleep again; her breathing deepened and her head fell to the side as she completely submitted herself to the darkness of a dreamless realm.

He watched her a while more, making sure she was comfortable within sleep before letting his eyes shut and drifting into a mediative state, his arms resting gently on his thighs. But despite all of best his efforts, his mind would not rest and he couldn't seem to stall his racing thoughts. He sighed softly, opening worried eyes to glance down at the woman.

This was going to be a long night.

xox

I really had no idea where I was going with this chapter to be honest! I got past writing the bow and arrow sequence and then just sort of let my mind do the rest. I hope it works for you guys and is a good enough chapter ! The next one is where the 'M' rating comes in so if your wanting more NejixSakura, don't worry there is ALOT to come!

As always guys please R+R - I love to hear your feedback!

My other story 'Breaking Point' will be updated next ;)


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